2 Posts in a Month!

I'm getting better ;0)

I have come to post up some photographs of my HAED Coral Addiction. I started her in March 2011 (gosh where do the years go!) and have not picked her up for some time...the last photo on my computer is labelled 19.09.12!!!

Here it is:

AND here is where I am at with my stitching as of YESTERDAY (16.07.15):

This is what she will look like when complete...(minus the background as I asked for that to be removed when I purchased the chart)

So a lot more tail to do and a bit of coral right at the bottom! My aim was to have her completed LAST year (did not go to plan) so I will try to have her completed THIS year instead...:0)

I hope that you have enjoyed seeing my progress and hope that you will continue to check in and watch my progress now I have picked this old project back up again...

xXx

Long Time NO Post...

I feel like I spend a lot of my time making posts that have the above title lol...

I must try harder!

The reason for my absence? Life! We have just bought a house and moved in a month ago (or slightly less than that, 3 weeks 4 days!) so have been INCREDIBLY busy decorating and doing DIY...

I haven't stitched much recently either, I have started a new Koi Fish project for my other half but that is stitched in the style of a HAED so may take some months to complete...

I am going to try my best to update and make a blog post every month - whether I just update with a few pictures about what I have been doing, review something I have used, or just waffle on about my life in general...I WILL POST SOMETHING!!! (promise!)

I hope all the readers of my blog are well & enjoying the lovely June weather we have been having! (sense the sarcasm in that sentence...) today alone it has thundered, poured down and now is glorious sunshine...glad I did not put the washing out! The weekend is meant to be brighter so hopefully that is true and I can throw all the windows open at my house, give it a good air and a summer clean...;0)

I plan to sit and stitch tonight, for the FIRST time in my new house. I'm really looking forward to it :0) goodness knows how much I will get done because I am sure my other half will be under my feet ;0) however yesterday we moved the Fiesta he is restoring/building up to its FOREVER home (from a garage about 45minutes away!) so hopefully he'll disappear out there and sort some of his stuff out...

Loving you all and leaving you all now...until next time...;0)

SandZ xXx

Pile of Piggies WIP! :0)...

1st WIP pic as of 23rd September!!!

2nd WIP pic as of 27th September!!!

3rd WIP pic as of 8th October!!!

I started this stitch in mid September - as you can see it is progressing quite well :0) I am happy with the colours and the way it looks. The cover of the kit looks like this: 

It is quite an easy stitch ~ no blending, no fractionals and no half stitches :0) I am very glad that the colours in the threads in the kit are more natural than they show on the picture above...I think that the final piece will be stunning and I hope that Cookie's Mum will like it. It is her CHRISTMAS pressie so I think I am on track to get it completed in time. I have almost completed the 4th piglet on the left hand side of the design (the only one with a curly tail) so will show another picture when I have completed that piglet (should be within the next few days!)

I hope that you like my latest project and my WIP photographs ~ thanks for looking if you have done so!

xXx

Framed "I Love Coffee" Present

I picked up my friends cross stitch from the framers recently and took it to her house...she loved it & it is in pride of place on her kitchen wall..

My quotes of the day today are:

I think that both say a similar thing...it is very important to speak the truth even if people do not want to hear it! In the end the truth may hurt but people will definitely end up appreciating & respecting you more...I always try to speak my mind no matter what the situation, even if is hard to speak the truth! I feel better for being truthful, I couldn't lie even if I needed to (I think that's a good trait of mine)...

xXx

Almost A Year!

With my beautiful wonderful man Cookie! Hasn't that time flown??? In the past (almost) year we have done so many things...the biggest being:
* seeing Flux Pavilion at the UEA in Norwich...
* seeing Ellie Goulding at the O2...
* going on holiday to Holland and attending Defqon festival...(1st experience driving in Europe for Cookie!)
* completing 2 5k runs ~ The Color Run and The Electric Run
* Ford Fair 2O14...
* seeing Rudimental at the O2 Academy...
* few trips to see his family :0)
* got a 350litre fish tank and filled it with lots of beautiful fish!
& lots more memorable things! I am very happy...I hope that we continue to make more awesome memories and here's to another year together (((& more)))!!!

xXx

Long Time No Post!

Long time and no blog post! I am going to make a promise to myself that I will post something once a week...

As my picture quote today says...life is better when you're lauging! People on Facebook have been doing these 3 positive things posts so for today's post I am going to post 3 positive things...

#1 ~ I had a lovely weekend with my boyfriend camping on Saturday night and wandering around Ford Fair on Sunday...

#2 ~ We will have been together for a year at the end of this month...that time has flown...we've done so many cool things within the past 11months and so many more awesome things to come!

#3 ~ I've been working in a different office for the past 7 days and they want to keep me but my original office wants me back! It's nice to feel "wanted" hehe...

I have not done a lot of stitching recently although I did finish something for one of my good friends...

It is away being framed right now...I assure you the cup to the right is straight but doesn't look like it in the photo for some reason 

Anyway...I hope that you like my latest cross stitch finish...I'll be back soon with another picture quote that has inspired me...

xXx

Ellie Goulding at the O2..

On Sunday (the 9th of March) we went to see Ellie Goulding at the O2 and I thought I would share some photos of the event...we went into the Sky Bar backstage at the O2 before the show...I would recommend going in there if you are a Sky customer (it is very easy to get tickets to go in there here: https://rewards.sky.com/home/sky-at-the-o2/)...

We did lots of different things in the O2 before the show because we had time to fill so even if you arrive early there are the bars to go in (from 530pm) and other entertainment as well...my boyfriend Cookie went on a Nissan driving simulator which he said was awesome and in the Sky area you can read the news and also there is an Iron Man area there at the moment where they use an Xbox Kinect kind of software to make the Iron Man costume appear round you and you do certain activities as Iron Man :0)...I think that they change this area often depending what films are current...

Here are some photos of Ellie :0)...

~ the O2 was a bit full ;0)

~ The Stage set up was amazing...lots of monitors that cycled through live images that camera operators were filming as the show went on...

I hope that you like my pictures if you've had a look...:0) I will put up links to videos we did as well when they have uploaded to YouTube ;0)...

EDIT:

Ellie Goulding Lights Video

xXx

2O14 Mission

Well my mission as set by my wonderful boyfriend is to FINISH my HAED Coral Addiction...

I have 2 and a half full pages & 3 partial pages to go...attached is a picture of how she looks right now...think I've done a tad more of her tail in the top right hand corner but I'll get a new photo when there's significant progress...

I think it's a do-able goal as long as I get some stitchy hours in this weekend & maintain those hours each week/weekend...

There are too many things to do in the day & not enough hours right?!...

Let battle commence!!!...
xXx

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year...

Hellooo!!! Long time no post...

Just wanted to share a few photos of Christmas 2O13 & hope to post more in the New Year! I haven't really been stitching much this year at all...I really need to pick up a HAED and get cracking again...

This picture is of me & my boyfriend Cookie :0) I forced him to wear a Santa hat for a photo...;0)

He wasn't too happy about the Santa hat!!! Hehe...

My Pandora bracelet is full now thanks to 4 charms for Christmas! 3 from my Cookie and 1 from my Mum :0)

I was also VERY lucky & got some Ugg boots from my Cookie too...

I hope all my blog readers had a fabulous Christmas. I had a very chilled one spent at home with my parents & boyfriend...New Year is going to be more eventful as we are off to Southampton for a dance event :0)...

I hope that everyone has a lovely New Year & is looking forward to 2O14...we have a LOAD of plans for next year so I am über excited...:0)

I'll post more next year ~ I promise...

xXx

Itchy Feet...

For as LONG as I can remember I haven't stuck in one place for all that long...this stems from my parents moving me around a lot as a child...I was born in Aberdeen, moved down to Lowestoft (Suffolk) when I was quite small, then Filby (Norfolk), then Lyne of Skene (13miles outside of Aberdeen) when I was 6, Ash (Surrey) when I was 12, Lowestoft again when I was 18, Stoke on Trent when I was 24/25, Crewe when I was 25/26 & back to Lowestoft again when I was 26...in fact I did a whole lot of bouncing around for just over a year of my life...as much as moving sucks it's quite exciting investigating somewhere new :0) this does mean a lot of my friends are in random places in the country but hey that's just fine :0)

So I think the absolute longest I've stuck anywhere was 6years! I knew coming back to Lowestoft after Stoke/Crewe I was coming back to somewhere where I had exhausted all my possibilities! I studied & got my degree here, I left & went on the cruise ship (admittedly that failed) I then worked myself to a position where I could apply for a managerial role in Stoke & moved once more...that was a huge failure too along with both my relationships up there :0/ so I was forced to come back to the one place I felt I had no possibilities left in...I am a BOOMERANG, I always come back to my "roots"...

Now I'm doing a decent-ish job in Norwich ~ but I can't help craving more! Someone said to me that I'm "bound" to Lowestoft & I do feel that way sometimes but I'm DETERMINED to prove I'm not!!! My friends & family are here yes but that's not the be all & end all of life is it?! I feel Lowestoft has it's poisonous claws in me & won't let go! 

Right now I'm sat in my little sun trap, it's the one place you'll find me if you can't find me anywhere else :0/ I crave the sunshine, I crave to be on the go & I crave to be anywhere else but here right now...I'm sitting staring at the clouds wishing I could be that free! 

I don't want to be tied to anywhere, I want to be completely free of responsibility for ANYTHING! I want to bounce from place to place, making friends & experiencing life! Yep...that's what I truly want...but things like a full time job & a new car get in my way! They are the ONLY two things stopping me...I genuinely can't wait to be out of my knee brace/off my crutches cos then I'll be on the go ALL THE TIME! I'm not missing out anymore...

That's a PROMISE I've made to myself...I don't break promises!!!

Outpatients / Knee Operation Progress...

Been to outpatients today...saw my surgeon who looked at my knee and got my bandages taken off...he tried to get me to bend my knee and test range of movement! He also manipulated my knee cap and said that it is now in a much more secure position, less likely to dislocate now...:0)

I am off to physio on Tuesday and then have to go back and see my surgeon one last time at the beginning of July...my surgeon advised another 2 weeks off work or at least to wait until I am a bit steadier on my feet. Hoping the physio can give me some time frames when I'll be out of my brace and off my crutches! My brace is now on 0-90 instead of 0-60 which means I can bend my knee further now, everything is just very tight that's all...my Mum has been through knee operations before so keeps getting me to lift my knee and bend it...

Here's a couple of photos of my knee for anyone interested:

The stitches are dissolvable so should be gone once I have a bath or shower  after 2 weeks of not being able to wash properly I am looking forward to having a bath later maybe...
x

Reasons I am Scared...

I've been reading up once again on TEFL courses and people's opinions/experiences, I think it is going to be a recurring theme whilst I am off ~ it gives me something to focus on...

So why am I so nervous to talk to my parents about my idea??? Why do I keep coming up with loads of reasons why I shouldn't do it??? 

Well...my reasons and arguments inside my head for doing it and also NOT doing it are:

1) I am worried my parents will not be supportive of my idea ~ even though they have always supported me through everything in my little life so far. Even when I wanted to come home from Crewe following a relationship break down and would have no job here they welcomed me back with open arms...
- the reason why I think they'd be un-supportive is that I have a perfectly good job here. Leaving that guaranteed and steady job for something unpredictable may be seen as stupid! HOWEVER that's exactly the reason why the idea appeals to me so much. I don't have a house of my own or children so this would be the perfect time to escape and see some of the world...I feel that I need to take a "risk" and challenge myself, I currently live too "safely"!!!

2) I have my new little car which is only 3 days old lol...just bought a new car and if I go off gallivanting round the world then that was a complete waste of money! However I don't think I'd be going off straight away, like maybe not even until next year! So that's plenty time to drive my new vehicle, also if I go off abroad for a few weeks at a time I guess I'd be home quite regularly! Could always sell the car, this would get some of the money back that we spent on it in the 1st place...

3) I'd miss my friends and family ~ however a friend pointed out that I moved away to Stoke on Trent/Crewe from Lowestoft and my relationship with my parents/best friends did not deteriorate then! There's always email, Facebook, Twitter & Skype so I shouldn't really worry about relationships deteriorating...

4) Being alone on my own in a foreign country ~ however I think this would be a VERY good thing for me as well as a terrifying thing...I need to stand on my own two feet & get out of my comfort zone...I need to go and learn a new language, eat new foods, see new sights and meet new people!

5) Last time I tried to work abroad I failed...I went to work on a cruise ship as a photographer when I was fresh out of university, the contract was for 6months and I lasted 6weeks! The reason that I didn't last a long time was the actual job more than anything. I despised taking photographs of people at dinner/meal times even though my manager and colleagues reassured me that people on cruises wanted those kinds of memories. I couldn't do my job unless I did that part of it, I couldn't just do all the other bits of the job & miss that bit out because that wouldn't be fair to my colleagues...so I left...I came back home and haven't really picked up a camera since! However I don't look upon this experience as a failure, I just look upon it as something I had to do with my life...

...is studying for my TEFL qualification something I have to do with my life too???

^^^ these are my main fears/worries...
*I am worried about disappointing my parents...
*I am worried about leaving my friends and the hobbies that I do... 
*I am worried about just buying a new car & then not being able to drive it...

I honestly don't want to just flounder around for a few more years & buy a house because I think that's what I'm expected to do...I don't want to be "stuck" in my current job where I have nowhere to progress to - progression and growth in a job role is super important to me the older that I get! The reason why there is no progression routes in my job is that Payroll is a small department stuck out on the outskirts of the larger business which is Accountancy/Tax related. As it is a small department (there is only 3 of us) the only progression route would be go into my managers role ~ this is definitely something I do not want. She works absolutely LOADS of hours a week (like 730am - after 6pm) and anything over her base hours a week gets added to her time off in lieu that she can take! However because of the busy nature of our job role there is just no time to take any time off ~ before I went off for my knee operation she worked out that she would need to take 1 or 2 weeks off EVERY month up to December to use up her Lieu time alone!!! What about time for me and my colleague to have holidays/time off??? 

Don't get me wrong, I do love my job :0) it saved me when I was at a point in my life where I needed saving...I was in a seasonal role and on the verge of becoming unemployed. I applied for the role at my current company and it was a bit of a whirlwind as I got the job and a week later I was working there!!! I was so excited as it is a 9am-5pm job Monday to Friday...however the longer I have been there (& I've only been there 7 almost 8 months) the more my hours have extended...starting work at 830am and working through my half an hour lunch break to finish at maybe 615pm at the latest...this is something I thought that I had left behind when I worked at Pleasurewood Hills...the days there were exhausting (8am - 645pm at the longest!) some days not even sitting to have lunch & just eating it on the go! Yet I am STILL doing it, eating on the go and not having a proper break away from work in the middle of the day!!! If I choose to have a lunch break and leave at the regular time I would normally then I feel super bad about the never ending workload that I'm leaving behind...my day is long anyway because I live 45mins-an hour away from the city which I work in!

I think if this job had hit me a bit later in life I'd be ever so content to just go to work, come home etc...and I'd have a proper little set routine involving the gym, friends, meals out, nights out & probably have my own little house! Right now I do feel like I am "floundering" for want of a better word...I am living my life at home with my parents and I don't feel like I am achieving anything because I am so settled here! I am comfortable and life is easy! It shouldn't be like that...I should be testing myself, trying things that scare me, achieving all sorts of interesting things & more than that I should be LIVING an exciting life!!! 

On the flip side of everything I have a great CV, if I study for my TEFL then that would just make my CV look even better! So if I leave my current job and try out this whole TEFL thing then I shouldn't find it an issue to get another job if that should be a massive failure ~ should I??? I've got a degree, lots of years of experience in different kinds of jobs, payroll qualifications, IT qualifications etc...

I just want to explore, I've got itchy feet and I just want to go!!! I can't commit myself to anything just yet (because I can't even stand on my own two feet without crutches at the moment!) but as soon as I am independent again I think I will be off...no matter how scared I am! I am going to face my fears & tell my parents about my ideas...

My plan is as follows: get back on my own two feet, lose weight, get back to dancing/Zumba & study for my TEFL qualification even if I don't actually do anything with that qualification straight away (at least it would be better having the qualification than not at all, plus would be money well spent rather than spending it on clothes/shoes/alcohol)!!! 

Sounds like a plan right??? I feel that I type words that are much more positive than they would be if they came out of my mouth...

Wish me luck!!!

Ooohhh...

...had an idea! I think the way forward is to do my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course and head out into the world and teach people English :0)!!!

It's £195.00 for an online course...there are always TEFL jobs going all over the world so I could potentially bounce from place to place once qualified...

Hmmm decisions decisions! :0) eeek...excited!!!

Goal in Life...

...my absolute aim in life (& has been for a while) is to move somewhere warm & sunny...the weather in England depresses me so much! Today it is BEAUTIFUL sat in the little sun trap at the bottom of my garden, I wish every day could be like this! I wish I could travel & see the world as my job, that would be the best! So much to experience out there & I get to see none of it because I am tethered to the spot here in Lowestoft!

So that's the goal ~ get out of Lowestoft...I dunno what I'll do to achieve that goal but I can't sit on my bum any longer in my job where I can't progress anywhere! I'm not tied to Lowestoft really ~ no kids, no house etc...so I really should just go! What kind of job would I do though?! Wish I could just backpack through loads of countries, learn a few languages & help some people out along the way! That would be amazing...

So yep...that's gonna be my focus from now on! Not focusing on dramas or "friends" that don't really care about me! Here I come world (when my knee is healed)...are you ready for me?!

New Car Time!

Picked up my new car today...not that I can drive it yet because of the issues with my knee! It's lovely...the same as the old one but just no miles on the clock...:0) 

When the new V5 documentation gets here we will be swapping the plates from my old car onto my new car! So it won't really look any different when we're finished ;0) 

I love it already :0)...hehe! Can't wait to actually get in it & drive it...hurry up & heal knee!!!

^^^ my old car & the registration that my new beepbeep will soon be having once the paperwork arrives ;0)

If You Could...

...do anything with your life what would that be???

I've been sat here thinking this morning about how people get to where they are in life...like were they born into the life they lead or were they incredibly lucky to get where they are today???

If I could do anything with my life I would move to New York (I love that city) and live my life out helping people in some way...whether that be by being someone's PA, working for a charity, being a counsellor etc...I am an organiser, I love to help people so if I could do anything then that would be it...I would love to also have an online business doing something (not sure what) so I could work from wherever I am in the world...that would give me the flexibility to travel and see the world...I hate being so static in life, I hate that my job ties me to where I live and ties me to how much of the world I can see...

I think because I don't have much else to do that my mind is working overtime...it's good thinking and having internal debates with yourself though :0) I think that's the way that ideas and future plans are formed...I'm getting itchy feet again that's all, in my whole life I have never sat still for so long and it pains me! I have always been on the move, going to new places and living in new places! That's the whole reason I have so many friends scattered all over the place and I love that :0) once my knee is sorted I think I will be off, visiting friends in far flung places and enjoying life. The past 3 or so years I haven't truly been me...it's time to rectify that!!!

My heart is in Lowestoft, it truly is! My family and best friends are here. I love my job, it gives me proper job satisfaction for the first time ever...but there's something niggling me and I don't know what it is...I loved psychology at A-Level, I should've pursued this as a career instead of following my Art & Design roots! After all, where did that get me??? A photography degree that I can't even bear to acknowledge...what a waste of my time I guess! However on the flip side at least I have a degree that I can be proud of :0)...as you can tell there is a conflict of opinion within myself when it comes to my previous studies!

So I guess my next move is to figure out what I want to do...I think if I do anything I will do a home study course! The reason being for this is that I can't really afford to not be working, I wish I'd studied for a better degree when I had the option to but hey I suppose I am just going to have to deal with previous life choices and find a way to be doing exactly what I am happy with! I hate battling with myself, I wish I knew what path to take to be truly happy in life. Truth is I have never known exactly what I want to do in life, I've kinda always bumbled along hoping for the best. Now I realise I should've worked hard from the word go ~ followed my passion and not stopped! I should've never become disappointed when an experience didn't go the way I expected. I should've picked myself up the moment I came back off that cruise ship & not just settled for any old job (which is what I did do!)...and because I did that I will always feel slightly disappointed in myself and know that I could've done better!

The next difficult step is actually working out the best route to take...& not wasting any money or time on something that may not get me anywhere!...that's the scary bit...right??? 

BRING IT ON!!! 

WIP Magical Nights Blackwork as of 23.05.13

Well here's where I was with this design as of the 17th of May 2013:

And here's where I am at a few days later:

I hope that you like my progress ~ this enforced rest malarkey is doing wonders for my stitchy bug but I do find myself getting tired earlier on in the evening. Right now it is 815pm and I have had to stop stitching as I am getting drowsy now...I'd hate to continue and make a mistake! Blackwork is not the easiest thing in the world to unpick (a bit like backstitch!)...

Thanks for looking at my blog & happy stitching!

Team Damon!!!

Well my newest favourite show is "The Vampire Diaries" ~ I'm just about up to speed watching it on Netflix (I'm about halfway through Season 3 & Season 4 has just finished being on the TV...) because I didn't know about The Vampire Diaries when it was airing on TV I think I may have a gap between finishing Season 3 and watching Season 4 which is annoying! It's not so bad waiting for a new season of something if you have finished watching the previous season at the same time as everyone else, but I am a whole season behind and Season 4 is not out on Netflix yet & probably wont be until it's out on DVD :0( 

I have pre-ordered the Season 1-4 box set on Play.com which is due for release in August so not that long to wait in the grand scheme of things! I may have to watch from Season 1 again and because I have watched up to Season 3 and know more in depth what is going on then maybe I'll realise/spot things or twists in the episodes earlier second time around...

I love this show, it is so in-depth and the episodes are written so well. It took me until the end of Season 1 to decide if I was Team Damon or Team Stefan ~ I am firmly on Team Damon...he is stunning and such a magnificent actor, such beautiful facial expressions! He is the ultimate bad boy but he cares deep down, he has some exciting & interesting story lines and doesn't care what people think about him or about what he does! He knows he does the wrong things from time to time but he doesn't regret things too easily I don't think and that's a good way to live...you should only maybe regret things you have done, not things you haven't done (whoops! Went off on a tangent there!)...

Wow, absolutely gorgeous!!! :0)

I love it when you can find a new series to watch and get utterly engrossed in...I should've started doing a re-cap each time I'd watched a few episodes and expressed my thoughts from there but quite honestly I didn't think about it at the time. Perhaps when I'm done watching Season 3 and more than likely go back to watching Season 1 again then I will do this, although it wont quite be the same as when I watched it the 1st time around because I'll know what happens later on (which is a shame!) but knowing me I'll have forgotten a lot of things so maybe it might be worth doing???

What I do love most is that people keep dying or disappearing for some reason or another and then they pop back up a few episodes down the line and the transitions are seamless...you're never left thinking "huh?! What are they doing back?!" it is always for a reason or explained so well...I love it...:0)

My favourite characters are: (apart from Damon, obviously!)

* Catherine - the vampire double of Elena (Elena is Catherine's doppelganger!)

* Caroline - one of Elena's best friends who was turned into a Vampire by Catherine after she had an accident. While in hospital Damon gave Caroline some of his blood to aid healing & then Catherine killed Caroline hence turning her into a Vampire, but she was such a good person before that this followed her through into her life as a Vampire...

* Elijah & Rebekah - my 2 favourite "Originals", they seem to resonate most deeply with me...Elijah has his morals and Rebekah is the most fun, she can be a right bitch but I like that about her :0)

My apologies if you haven't ever watched the Vampire Diaries, this is just me waffling on about it because I felt the need to lol! Something a bit different from my usual Cross Stitch chatter ;0)...would be rather cool if HAED made a Vampire Diaries chart...perhaps of this image???

Or something similar! :0) I think that would be very cool & certainly something I would stitch in the future...

Right I'm signing off with my Vampire Diaries waffle, I am a tad obsessed (if you hadn't gathered yet!) I even have a Team Damon t-shirt...

Hope everyone is okay! & thanks for reading my blog today if you have done ;0)

xXx

In the Sunshine

 Well my achievement for today is that I am sat in the sunshine at the bottom of our garden :0) I got down here all by myself! I think the stubborn streak in me is really helping me to get the things done that I want to do :0) yesterday I was suffering in bed all day long as the codeine in the painkillers the hospital gave me was not agreeing with me (made me vomit & feel dizzy/light headed)! I've only taken paracetamol & ibuprofen today, I feel much better...

Hope everyone reading this is having a brilliant Sunday :0)...

xXx